Author's note: First of all, I would like to apologize for the time it took me to write a new chapter. I used to write almost a chapter a week, and then I spent a month without publishing. Let's just say I had something else to do.

There is also that this chapter was difficult to write. To transcribe into a narrative write a battle scene with many fighters and the quick and explosive style of Fate's fights is an almost impossible task.

I have only my imagination to replace the work of an entire team of screenwriters, voice actors, and animators.
Let's face it, I'm not very happy with the result.

The Three Deaths of Cù Chulainn

It fell, Chulainn the beautiful pillar!
Strong man, to repel a mighty warrior,
He stood up, -worth more than an army alone, -
Against the son of the three dogs, against Lugaid the son of Churoi.
His brilliant bravery defeated many enemies.
His death was not of a coward.
Four times eight warriors and four times ten,
Four times forty — a formidable feat! —
Four times twenty, immolated to his glory.
Succumbed to the blows (?) of Sualdam's son.

Aided Con Culainn
Brislech Mór Maige Murthemne 7

Derg-Ruathar Conaill Chernaig
Book of Leinster
Version A

I'd like to remind you of a sword fight's truth often forgotten, after ten minutes of intense combat a medieval sword in hand, arms tremble, the heart beats too fast and sweat runs down blinding the eyes of the fighter. At this level of exhaustion, even the best swordsman can be killed by a beginner.

Let us continue with a second truth, even the most brilliant of the swordsmen cannot hold in check more than two adversaries simultaneously.

Of course...

But Servant Saber, the Heroic Spirit Arthur Pendragon could hardly be described as normal.

The Knight of the Silver Sky dodged the attack of an ice golem by making a side leap. His invisible sword described an arc of blue light and the opponent collapsed into a shower of crushed ice.

Except that a real tide of adversaries was advancing upon him... the creature he had just eliminated was only one among hundreds.

Pressed by golems that simultaneously attacked him head-on and on both sides, he leaped to about ten meters turning in the air to hit around him and smash into pieces three other enemies.
His feet had barely touched the ground, as Barrier of the Wind King dissipated for a moment...
Three rays of golden light escaped from Excalibur forming a trident of sparkling destruction before him.
With the shortness of breath, Arthur wiped the sweat from his forehead with the lapel of his sleeve and leaned on the tree trunk behind him.

Already, before him, dozens of purple summoning circles appeared... this fight had no end! He clenched his teeth, taking his invisible sword with two hands.

But a shock made him look up at the branch above him.

Lancer... Cù Chulainn was crouching on the snow-covered branch. His spear was resting on his shoulder. Except it wasn't the Lancer he knew...His blue leather suit was crossed by lines of blue light and the runes adorning his left arm radiated also of this strange brightness. Moreover, Gael Bolg had a different appearance... it was adorned with a crown of spikes just in front of the point.

It was one of the doubles invoked by the Pennates Superi.

However, this Cù Chulainn definitely had the same character as this world counterpart. He raised a hand with a mocking smile:

"Yo, you seen a little puffy and angry! It's not cool to be alone against an army, huh! Yeah, I knew the story... and it usually ends badly. I speak from experience (1). Say, I've never met you... what hero are you? Your sword... it resembles that of Artoria. In any case you have the same Noble Phantasm... and you resemble her like a brother. Are you a family member?"

Despite the situation, the legendary king of Britain wondered for a moment who was this "Artoria" that this version of Cù Chulainn was talking about. However, other ice golems threw themselves at him and the question was forgotten. In a few moves of his invisible sword, he broke the first enemy line. Avoided the attacks of a colossus armed with a mace, King Arthur raised his sword with two hands:

"Strike Air!"

A whirlwind of air like a horizontal twister left the blade radiating blue light. In a roar of furious wind and whirlwinds of snow, the golems tore from the ground and were thrown against the trees of the forest.
An admiring whistle sounded behind Arthur. Cù Chulainn had dropped to the ground behind him. He had a falsely nonchalant attitude, his red spear resting on his shoulder. But Arthur felt that he was ready to leap without warning...

"Well... see this... Barrier of the Wind KInd, Strike Air: Hammer of the Wind King. You don't just look like Artoria's brother, you have the same powers."

Lancer raised his eyes to the moon which shone through the clouds. His eyes took on a dreamy air:

"I wonder how I got here... and especially where this is "here"?! One thing is sure... I'm not anymore in the Seraph... I was fighting the hordes of Rex Magnus (2) and suddenly... poof... here I am. Finally..."

His attitude changed in an instant. He swirled his lance and bent almost to the ground, in an attitude similar to that of a sprinter on the starting block.

"... I'm not going to complain. All I ask for in life is the opportunity to face very strong opponents, and to experience the excitement of the fight again."

The smile Lancer offered Arthur looked like the grimace of a rabid dog who was preparing to jump around his victim's neck...

The next moment, a supersonic bang sounded leaving only swirling snow at the place where Cù Chulainn had stood!

Arthur's fighting instinct made him react, he turned around with a supernatural vivacity... the lower part of his blue tabard dancing around his legs.

His invisible sword intercepted the red lance.

There was a violent blow that lifted the snow around Arthur, while the two Noble Phantasms collided in the middle of blue or red Mana discharges.

Cù Chulainn, who had just tried to pierce Saber's back, was rejected at a distance. Nevertheless, he arched himself and struck a tree with his feet to return to Arthur like a cannonball!

The next moment, it was as if a dozen Sabers and Lancer clashed between heaven and earth. Blurred shapes appeared here and there... colliding and exchanging blows...

The ice golems continued to come running, but they were crushed in the clash of the two heroes. As a perfect mad dog, Cù Chulainn cared nothing for his "allies" and massacred the ice creatures that bothered him in his "fun".

Huddled in the arms of Berserker, the Master of the Einzbern folded her ruby eyes in a disgusting reaction as she stared at the sickening creature that attacked her Servant:

"The cross between a dinosaur and a rabid dog! Kill that thing, Berserker, crush it! Make its minced meat."
As always Illya's adorable appearance contrasted with her violent and bloodthirsty temperament...
Nevertheless, Mad King Cù Chulainn was a calamity created during the Fifth Singularity of the Great Order of Destiny, the result of a mad Grail Wish by Queen Mebd "for a wicked monarch like me and Cú Chulainn." He was nothing like his Lancer counterpart... just a cold, practical killing machine with no desire for pleasure or... life. As a cold-blooded murderer, his only desire was the peace offered by his own death!

He had a cold smile:

"Oh yes, kill me... little girl... the earth calls me and its song is more moving than that of the mermaids. Kill me... if you can! But I think I'm killing you."

He'll turn and made disappear his version of Gae Bolg:

« Slaughter. Without exception."

"Liberate all curses. Without moderation. Be prepared to challenge despair..."

"Curruid Coinchenn! »

Illyasviel von Einzbern had a small cry of dismay at the horrible metamorphosis of the Servant. Having called his second Noble Phantasm, he had hideously transformed himself losing almost all human features. Cù Chulainn was now covered with bony growths that, strangely, left his chest free. Everything else was nothing but black bones with an evil red. The monster whose bone had been used in Scáthach to create Gae Bolg had become his armor.

The two Berserkers threw themselves on each other. The first shock was of immense violence and... Heracles retreated. The monstrous Cù Chulainn was even stronger than him!

It was going to be a brutal confrontation, without finesse or strategy. The infinite anger of Heracles opposed to the cold determination of Cù Chulainn Alter...

A long fight between two beings almost impossible to kill!

In the forest, the battle was raging.

Three heroes and a Master faced three heroes and an army of ice golems...

Blue and red, a flash moved between the trees. Faster than the eye could follow, it ricocheted in all directions. The golems he encountered exploded into broken pieces of ice.

Jumping, the Lancer-class Servant fell on a group of enemies...

Cù Chulainn laughed. His heart beat at full speed under the intoxication of the battle.

The Lancer of the Fifth Grail War... and the Cù Chulainn originally summoned by Bazett Fraga McRemitz was perfectly happy.

In his hand, Gae Bolg seemed almost alive. The spear twisted between his fingers to pierce the breasts of his enemies, or to repel them under a hail of blows. He dodged, leaped, and ran, sowing devastation all around him. His speed, his reflexes and his rabid dog's violence made him a one-man army...

Gasping, Lancer stopped for a moment and smiled at himself as much as at the individual who followed him discreetly.

When the stealthy assailant jumped, pointing his spear towards Lancer's neck, Cù Chulainn leaned aside and blocked the attack with a nonchalant gesture by Gae Bolg:

"And when you were little, you attacked in the back? It's not good I would tell Scáthach and she pulled your ears out," he mocked.

Setanta - the younger version of Cù Chulainn- gave a furious look at his double:

"Like you're not attacking in the back!"

"But there is a difference," replied his eldest version with a small, scornful smile. "I succeed!"

Yes, Cù Chulainn was happy... he had stumbled upon his "weak version". Without Gae Bolg and with still imperfect spear training, Setanta was unable to defeat him.

The teenager suddenly took out three pebbles from a pocket to his belt. They were adorned with the ᚨ rune:

"Anzuz!"
Cù Chulainn merely draws a line in the ground with the tip of his spear, a rune appearing without even needing to pronounce the name.

The explosion of flames created by the runes of Saitanta was contained by the blue wall of light of the Bounded Field created by his elder.

"Tsss... you know, if you play with the fire you'll burn yourself. Watch how it's done."

And the Servant in blue leather spandex leaped forward. His spear hit the ground at the foot of his young double dressed in fur and armor. Where Gae Bolg had sunk appeared the runes Kenaz and Sowilo. A flame hurricane was born and formed a cone that rushed to the younger version of Lancer

.Almost as fast and agile as his eldest, Saitanta leaped aside and dodged the attack... not without some singed hair.

The little effect of this deployment of Runic Magecraft made Cù Chulainn shrug his shoulders:

"That's why I never use runes to fight. If you want to kill someone you take a spear and plant it in the heart of your enemy and that's it... with runes you never know if your opponent doesn't have a counterspell or immunity."

Setanta smothered a cry of anger and threw himself on Cù Chulainn. The confrontation was brief, the mature version blocked the first assault while striking with a kick to the back of the knee. The teenager fell back. Before he had time to react, Blue Lancer immobilized his wrist under his foot, placing Gae Bolg on his throat:

"You didn't stand a chance against me. The difference between us is too great... especially without Noble Phantasm!"

"Then that's the strength I'll have someday."

Although defeated Setanta seemed rather happy...

"This is the strength you will have after you have forsaken the women you loved, wandered for years, blushed a meadow with the blood of hundreds of brave men who had wives and children, killed your own son, killed your best friend before succumbing to the machinations of a madwoman you rejected."

"But I would become a great hero! Whether you have a life as a blacksmith in your village or a life as a hero, an Irishman does not hesitate, even if it means suffering!"

"I knew you'd say that."

Cù Chulainn pushed Gae Bolg into the throat of his younger version.

With a strange malaise in his stomach, Lancer watched the teenager he had been evaporating into Prana's blue moths.

Even in a Grail War with all the bizarre events that could happen, it must have been a first for a Hero to kill his own teenage dreams. (3)

Despite the constant interventions of the ice golems, the duel between Cù Chulainn's version coming from the Extraverse and Arthur Pendragon continued. And to put it bluntly, slowly, imperceptibly, Lancer was losing.

Cù Chulainn was much faster and more agile than Saber. He swirled around the King of the Knight, attacking from all sides and always seemed to miss a mortal blow of the thickness of a hair. But it was only part put back, the next shot was going to touch...

Skill: Spear play - Hammering Assault!

Missed!
So now I...

Skill: Spear play - Median Lance!

Still not!

Lancer's frustration was growing.

It had only taken a few exchanges of blows for him to judge the length of the invisible sword held by his opponent. Even though Lancer still could not see the blade, it did not bother him anymore. However, the blocks and dodges of his opponent were incredible.

It's not as if Saber reacted faster than he did... it was rather as if he appeared the shots even before Cù Chulainn launched his attack as if the Servant of the Sword saw in the future. Really Saber was a hell of a warrior! The male version of King Arthur deserves a place among the Top Servant of the Moon Cell.

And it was so infuriating!

Cù Chulainn did not know that it was the result of Arthur Pendragon's fighting instinct and his technical superiority.

As Saber struck suddenly, giving all his strength in a blow, Lancer interposed his spear which would curve to take the form of a C, projecting away the sparks of Mana. Thrown back, the shoulder sore and the lungs emptied of their air, Cù Chulainn grumbled.

For having faced Artoria Pendragon several times, Lancer understood that this version of King Arthur was physically stronger while remaining as fast and agile as she was... and as his fights against Artoria had rarely played in his favor, there was only one thing left to do.

Lancer squats, Gae Bolg stretches behind him, his other hand lying flat on the ground, his whole being stretched as if to prepare to jump.

Cù Chulainn suddenly got up and started running as the magical energy poured into the tip of his lance, which ignited.

He stopped abruptly and the burning point drew a circle of flame on the ground! Then Lancer catapulted Gae Bolg towards the sky:

"Gáe Bolg: Soaring Spear that Strikes with Death!"

Having reached the peak of his trajectory, the burning lance fell back to the ground... but each point began to grow before giving birth to another red lance whose points spread in their turn... ten Gae Bolg... one hundred Gae Bolg... one thousand Gae Bolg fell back to the ground, like a redbone harrow eager to pierce the whole world!

Arthur had not remained hypnotized by the Noble Phantasm of his enemy. With a single thought, he freed his sword from its sheath of air.

An explosion of golden light suddenly seemed to run on the blade which became more and more brilliant... streams of golden light converged towards the Sword of Promised Victory, lifting up the snow and stirring the fallen leaves.

And suddenly, King Arthur shot down the Sacred Sword, shouting his name at the top of his lung:
"Excalibur!"
A sphere of light began to believe between the trees, a moment later it exploded into a pillar of golden fire that rushed towards the sky with a tearing roar.

The fight between the two Berserkers was little more than a brawl of drunks in a tavern... yes, supernaturally strong brawlers and dodges, and blocks were hardly used...

The fight had been going on for a long time.

Three times already, Heracles had fallen... arms torn off, head crushed, legs broken, his entrails spread to the ground.

Each time, God Hand: The Twelve Labors his Noble Phantasm had repaired his wounds making him able to fight again.

More resistant and stronger, Mad King Cù Chulainn kept the advantage in this fight... however he had been wounded several times. And he had only one life...

When Berserker Heracles rose for the fourth time, Cù Chulainn Alter was nothing but a wound... broken bones, and broken arms, he barely stood.

However, Heracles did not attack. Suddenly catching Illya, he began to run... at this moment, a rain of Gae Bolg fell in the forest covering Mount Enzou!

Every time a spear hit the ground, it exploded creating a huge red light blast, however, at the center of the explosions, a column of golden and glorious light, brighter than that of the sun, repelled the harrow of redbones.

A little further, the original Lancer of this Grail War ran between the explosions. Relying solely on his speed and agility to dodge Gae Bolg's rain:

"Hey! That's cheating! My Gae Bolg is incapable of doing that!"

The astral plane was not a place where explosions could cause physical damage... at least damage to beings not being in astral form.

Fortunately, because after a bombardment of this violence the mountain itself would have been nothing more than a vast burning funnel.

Illya opened her eyes, surprised to be still alive.

An explosion had thrown her to the ground and even if the Einzbern Master had lost consciousness and had pain everywhere, all she had were minor bruises.

As Illyasviel opened her eyes, she discovered her Berserker in the process of regeneration... even in death, he still held her firmly, his back charred forming a broad shield.

That was the fifth time he died today!

It took a good half-minute for life to return to the eyes of Heracles. Prudently Illya directed her Servant up the slope. When they arrived at the place where they had faced Mad King Cù Chulainn, they discovered his burned and curled-up body turning into bluish particles.
Ironically, he had been killed by the attack of his ally, the Extraverse version of Cù Chulainn.

Friendly Fire Is Not.

Exhausted by the use of his Noble Phantasm, Extraverse Cù Chulainn was no longer able to fight equally with Saber. He retreated. At times, Gae Bolg turned into a red wheel as he tried to repel King Arthur's attacks. At other times, he seemed to have ten arms pushing continuous thrusts blocked by the golden radiating blade of the legendary king. Although Arthur had blood on his face and scratches on his arms, the knight was in better shape than his opponent.

Indeed, from the throat to the top of the thigh, the blood-stained Lancer's blue spandex. And with his blood, it was his life that left. Without his Skill Battle Continuation (A-Rank), he would have already collapsed to death.

Lancer smiled. There was no standing stone to lean on, but he could find a tree to protect his back. This time, he would not return to death surrounded by corpses of hundreds of warriors proving that he was a hero but at least could he hold Gae Bolg with both hands, not needing to hold his entrails:
"Today is a good day, Saber."

He leaped forward, his spear raised but, before he could launch a last attack, Excalibur pierced his chest through his back in a sound of broken bones and a fountain of blood.

Cù Chulainn spits a scarlet flood but always smiled:

"Ah, I'm going back to drink at the Lake of Lâmrath," having said this, his eyes closed.

And as his legend would have it, crows (messengers of Lug, his divine father) saw themselves resting on his shoulders... and slowly, his corpse began to dissipate into blue particles.

Once again, Ireland's Child of Light had died in a final feat that enhanced his never-ending glory.

If we were looking for the complete opposite of Cù Chulainn, there was no need to look very far. Atrum Galliasta was this man.

As the shadow of death extended over him, he did not think of standing up and resisting until the end... he wanted to flee.

Exhausted, Paracelsus looked down upon his Master with contempt. God was witness, he had explained to this pathetic man that killing children would make him the enemy of all the other Masters. He had responded to his advice with contempt... and now that his predictions were coming true, his Master was only insulting him as if it were his fault.

But all was not yet lost...

The Cold Genius was death, killed by the Gae Bolg's rain Noble Phantasm...

But he still had the Pennates Superi and its jewels, he could summon other allies.

Yes, he still had cards in his deck. He could still win the battle.

Paracelsus produced a book and several rubies and diamonds. He then shouted his Homunculi to ask them to draw up a new circle of invocation.

Paracelsus was wise and cunning, but he could not prepare plans for a danger of which he was ignorant.
Since the beginning of the confrontation, Hassan of Serenity has been lurking in the shadows. She hid to escape the ice golems, unable to approach Ryuudou Temple, Assassin had waited.
Even though the Noble Phantasm of Extraverse's Lancer failed to kill her, it was actually a chance because all the golems have dissipated with the death of their creator.

Quickly, the brown-skinned young woman leaped over the wall surrounding the temple and fell back without a sound on the other side. A shadow among the shadows, she slipped onto the slabs.

In her hand, three daggers had materialized. Serenity, with a sure and powerful gesture, threw them to Atrum Galliastra.

The Master was insulting Paracelsus and suddenly choked while a dirk pierced his throat. Another had struck him in the belly and finally, the latter lodged in his right eye penetrating to the brain.

As each blade was poison coated... death was instantaneous!

Saber, Lancer, and Berserker found themselves on the stairs leading to Ryuudou Temple. There was a moment of trouble when Cù Chulainn had to explain that he was... himself and not a double called by the Pennates Superi.

Fortunately, Saber had killed Extra's Lancer, the only doubles who really looked like him. While this problem had just been solved, a strange sensation overwhelmed the three Servants and Illya... It was like they were in a freefalling elevator.

It lasted only an instant.

As they looked around, they discovered that they had returned to the primary material plan.
And above Ryuudou, the silhouette of the Pennates Superi had disappeared.

Without a word, they resumed their journey to the top of the steps.

Upon entering the temple, they discovered the answer to their questions.

A masked woman was turning over the corpse of Caster's Master.

As for Caster himself, he sat on the ground, looking at his hand becoming translucent as particles of prana were carried away by the wind.

His homunculi surrounded him trying to give him magical energy to save his life...

"Ah, here come the victorious heroes! I would not go further, it is a shame... but I am grateful to you for having stopped Galliastra, he was a selfish madman... " He greeted Serenity with a nod of the head: "Thank you, Assassin."

The masked woman bowed with her hand over her heart and replied:

"My Master and his ally arrive and they have a proposal for you, Caster... and another proposal for you Illyasviel von Einzbern, as well as for your Master, Saber."

Author's note: I hope that no one will complain again that I don't talk enough about Cù Chulainn...

(1) One of the most famous feats of Cù Chulainn is to have defended Ulster alone against the army reunited by Queen Medb of Connacht, which earned him the queen's hatred... and led to his death when Mebd cursed him. Events told in the Tain Bo Cuailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley) for the battle and in the Aided Con Culainn for the death of Cù.

(2) Obviously, this version of Cù Chulainn was taken in the Moon Cell Automaton at the time of the events of Fate/ Extella Link.

(3) As I reread this passage, I think it looks a lot like the clash between Archer and Shirou in the UBW route.